A fantastic life
by Captainfredrickwentworth
Summary: Two weeks after the Doctor left his clone and Rose to live together, his clone dies, leaving Rose to try and move on from everything she has come to love and enjoy. That is how she finds herself in the small coastal town of Broadchurch. During her time there she meets a strange man who reminds her greatly of the man she lost. First crossover, post JE.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! I'm really sorry I'm not paying more attention to my other stories. I assure you they are all still running and will eventually be finished. This is probably not a good idea since I already have four published stories running and a few more one-shots and series in progress...but I can't help it ok? :P I have another Broadchurch crossover waiting as well, but when I started this one it just...happened. The first few chapters are written but I'm not going to upload them just yet as I've just started the busiest year of school so far for me and although this is very important, I do need to focus on my studies a little bit this year :P **

**Please tell me what you think. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of Doctor Who or Broadchurch even though they are both absolutely brilliant.**

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Three months had passed since the Doctor had left Rose and his clone on the beach to start their life together. What the Doctor didn't realise was that his clone didn't have long to live. Rose buried him only two weeks after the Doctor had left them, and she hadn't looked back since. That was how she found herself packing her bags to move away from the city. Work was no longer a distraction, but more of a painful reminder of the past. The Doctor thought she was safe and happy, but he couldn't be more wrong. Sure she wasn't unsafe; she had money, a job whenever she felt like it, and the world's most protective mother, but the one thing she didn't have was the Doctor and that made her feel vulnerable, like she had no one to catch her if she fell.

The car trip wasn't as long as she thought it would be, and she soon arrived in the small town of Broadchurch. She searched for a place that was small and distant, but not too far away if she had to return. Her driver opened the car door for her and she stepped out onto the track, her dog Mika rushing after her. Mika was given to her for her birthday her previous year and was an enormous golden Labrador.

Rose watched her disappear down the hill in a flash of gold, heading for the beach. She laughed and ran after her, leaving her driver to start bringing her things inside the new house. When Rose finally reached the sand and kicked off her shoes, Mika had already been in the water and was now running full pelt towards a man standing on the beach. Rose felt the dread settle in her stomach as Mika leapt up and tackled the man, knocking him to the ground and licking his face.

She ran towards them, yelling at Mika who soon backed off. She then leant down and offered the man a hand up. When he looked up at her, her heart nearly stopped. It wasn't the Doctor, because it couldn't be, he was gone and the universe walls were sealed. For all she knew he could have regenerated by now. As her thoughts wandered, the man gripped onto her hand and watched her with a raised eyebrow. "Sorry" she murmured, pulling him up "And I'm sorry about my dog, she's just a bit excited".

He watched her for a moment before giving her a nod and a tight smile. Definitely not the Doctor. He then proceeded to walk up the beach, without a second glance. "Hey" she called out after him and he slowed, allowing her time to catch up "I didn't get your name".

He turned to her and watched her for a moment "I didn't give it. Do you give your name to everyone whose dog knocks you over?" he spoke in a Scottish accent.

"I said I was sorry" she murmured "but no, I hardly give my name to anyone".

"Then that is something we can have in common" he continued to walk "Good day Miss".

Rose stared after the man who looked like her Doctor. The resemblance was uncanny but he was definitely not the man she loved. He was gruff and Scottish and...well, rude. 'No difference there' she laughed to herself.

Calling to Mika she made her way back up the hill and over to where her car and the moving truck were waiting for her. In the distance she could see the lines of houses, a bit further away than the little cabin she had purchased. Apparently the owner couldn't bear to keep it after a young boy had been strangled inside it, but it was no longer a crime scene and the crime had long been solved. The cabin was cosy and surprisingly spacious compared to what it looked on the outside. She thought of the TARDIS being bigger-on-the-inside and her heart clenched. She shook her head a little and set to work making the place as homey as she could. She had very few decorations she really liked and had bought herself, but Pete had taken the liberty of getting her furniture along the lines of her bedroom back at the manor. She unpacked Mika's bed and filled her bowl with water. Things were going to be fine; she didn't need the Doctor to have a good life. Wasn't that what he had told her anyway? To have a fantastic life, the one adventure he could never have.

Then she had already found enough to interest her in the town. The place containing a Doctor doppelganger was enough to keep her interested, even if he pulled at her heartstrings. He was different enough from the Doctor not to cause her too much pain and just enough like him to spark her interest.

By the time the sun was setting she fed Mika and went for a walk through the streets of her new town. She soon found a small café/bar that looked friendly enough. She walked inside and sat at the bar; ignoring the curious looks she was getting for most of the other customers. Surely they didn't all know who she was. Although she had, had her fair share of publicity she tried to keep out of the spotlight as much as possible. Things got too painful when anyone asked her about dating or what happened to that handsome young man who she had been seen with for a little while, so she kept out of it and only occasionally made public appearances. Nevertheless she was well loved by the public. She had set up a charity to get rid of some of the unnecessary money Pete had forced on her when she had first arrived.

After ordering a glass of red wine and sitting down to a nice meal Rose heard the door open and looked up the see the strange man Mika had knocked over on the beach. She automatically went back to her meal and tried to ignore him. Of course having someone looking that much like the Doctor would attract her attention, and almost every time she looked up she would see him looking at her. This both excited her and irritated her to the point that she had to leave, not being able to bear his scrutiny any longer.

She felt his eyes follow her as she approached the counter to pay for her drink and meal. She smiled politely at the woman serving her and handed over the money to pay for the meal and a generous tip for the great food and fantastic service. She turned to leave and offered the man a small smile, earning nothing but and intrigued sort of frown back. That night she had very little sleep and ended up sitting in bed reading with Mika curled beside her. When she finally did manage to fall asleep however, her dreams were haunted with images of that man. She would be walking into the TARDIS and the Doctor would be standing with his back to her, but when he turned around he would have floppy hair, a cold stare and a Scottish accent when he spoke to her, telling her he didn't know her.

**So? First real try at a crossover, how'd I go? Please let me know :) Thanks for your continued support on my other stories also.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry it's taken a while. Getting into a new year at school, turning sixteen and dramatic girly fights do tend to take up ones time. Anyway here it is, I've got the first six chapters written but it may be a while before I can put up the next one. Thanks guys :) Also The return of the wolf will be updated really soon I promise! D: Oh and also 'Mary' is made up, I don't know anyone called Mary it was just the first name that popped into my head.**

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Alec Hardy woke up in his small flat, cradling his head in his hands. Cursing himself for never remembering to close the blinds the night before, he slowly made his way into the bathroom for a shower. As usual he had, had way too much to drink and could barely remember anything of the night before. The only thing he remembered was seeing the young woman in the café having her dinner. Did he talk to her? He really couldn't remember.

When he was finally dressed and ready for work he made his way along the street and into the same café as the night before for his morning coffee. As he stood waiting for his drink the door opened and revealed none other than the woman that his thoughts never seemed to leave. She didn't appear to have seen him and walked up to the counter and sat on one of the stools.

"Morning Mary" she smiled at the lady "What's the breakfast special today?"

Mary beamed at her, clearly pleasantly surprised that the woman had remembered her name "Well we've got the classic breakfast with bacon, eggs, sausages and tomatoes and optional toast and sides".

"Oh that sounds lovely thank you" the woman grinned.

"Coming right up then" Mary went to tell the cook, returning shortly afterwards to get the woman her orange juice "So what brings you to town Miss...?"

"Rose, call me Rose" the woman smiled "I just thought a change would be nice. I went online to find a quiet place away from London and I found this place" she shrugged "Only got here yesterday and everyone's been so nice".

Alec cringed slightly at that. He hadn't been particularly friendly to Rose. Rose. He let himself form the word on his tongue. He surprised himself at how much he really liked it and how much it suited her. He was sure he'd seen her before and now hearing her name made him even more curious.

"What about the murder?" Mary asked, glancing at him and successfully bringing his attention back to their conversation.

"Oh" Rose shrugged again "I didn't really look into it. I never really had a chance to watch the news back home in London, but I heard the DI did a really great job on the case. I wonder if I'll meet him while I'm here" she was clearing thinking aloud.

Mary looked up in his direction and he shook his head at her. Mary was one of the few people in the town that could actually stand him and he found it quite refreshing in some ways. Of course he didn't usually care what people thought of him, but it was nice to have someone not totally hate him.

"You might" Mary shrugged "He comes in here sometimes, nice enough bloke if you get on his good side".

"Good to hear" Rose chuckled "I'm not really the law-breaking type so I hope we can be friends".

Mary nodded and took a takeaway coffee cup from the young girl that worked with her. She walked over to Alec and gave him a warm smile "Sorry it took so long Alec, she's new and I don't want to fire her before she's had her chance".

"It's alright I understand" he pulled out his wallet and paid for his beverage "Have a nice day Mary".

"You too Sir" she smiled and gave him a mock-salute.

He wandered out of the shop without another glance at Rose. She didn't know who he was. He felt kind of relieved that there was someone who hadn't followed the case, living in town. It gave him a little more confidence to be nice to the woman, not that she'd probably ever want to talk to him again anyway.

When he entered the police station Ellie was already waiting for him "So..." she said leaning against the wall.

He looked up to see her staring at him and sighed "What did I do this time?"

"Oh nothing" she shrugged "Well you did get a little bit drunk last night and then this morning you didn't buy me a coffee".

"Sorry" he grumbled "I was a little bit distracted.

"Distracted by what?" she asked, frowning a little.

"New woman" he murmured between mouthfuls of his coffee.

"The one who bought the little cabin where...it happened" Ellie nodded sombrely.

"I didn't know she'd bought the cabin" Alec shrugged "I just assumed she'd bought a house somewhere".

"Well she has" Ellie nodded "Bit of an odd choice if I say so myself, thought that place was gonna have to be pulled down".

"She didn't follow the case" Alec let out a sigh "It's kind of nice really. She doesn't know who I am or you are or anything. I don't even know if she knows what happened in that house".

"So you met her then?"

"Aye" he nodded "Her bloody dog bowled me over when I was down at the beach yesterday. She helped me up and apologized".

"And I bet you were as rude as ever, weren't you?" Ellie gave him a disapproving look.

"Maybe" he shrugged "I'm not good with people like that".

"People like what?" Ellie asked curiously.

"Well..." he paused for a moment "Women".

"You can talk to me" she frowned.

"That's only because I work with you" he shrugged, still surprised at how open he was being with even Ellie "I can't talk to women like her ever since my ex-wife".

"Women like her?" Ellie asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well women that...that..."

"That you find attractive?" she finished for him.

"Aye" he hung his head slightly.

"Oh would you look at that" Ellie tutted "DI Alec Hardy is in love with the new girl".

"Oh snap out of it" he glared at her "I barely know the woman and I doubt she'd ever look at me that way anyway. In fact the first time she saw my face she looked almost haunted, like she'd seen a ghost or something".

"Oh but you actually do like her" Ellie grinned "Talk to her, be polite, ask her out. She might surprise you yet".

"Miller you know this is none of your business right?" he frowned at her.

"Yeah of course" she shrugged "but that doesn't mean I'm not gonna try to help you out a little bit".

"I don't need your kind of help" Alec growled.

Ellie just smiled "You need all the help you can get". With that she left the room, leaving him to his thoughts.

She was crazy right? He didn't want the attention of some twenty-something year old blonde who might not be worth his time anyway did he? The problem was that he did know the answer to that, even before Ellie told him "Oh boy" he muttered "Miller!" he yelled to call her back into his office.

Ellie grinned when she heard him and came rushing back into the room. The fact that he was even considering her help was astounding in itself and she was going to make the most of it.

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**Alrighty then. So the way I've written the first six chapters will go Rose, Alec, Rose, Alec...etc etc. Tell me if this works for you. Thanks for taking an interest in my stories and as always, you guys are fabulous :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! New chapter. Sorry about the wait, things are just hectic for me this time of the year :P Enjoy :)**

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Rose walked along the cliffs leisurely. She'd deliberately left Mika sleeping so as not to cause anymore havoc with the locals. She thought about maybe getting a job someplace. She didn't need the money of course, but with her other work not taking up all of her time she felt somehow empty and needed something to fill in the gaps.

"Hello" came a friendly voice from behind her, making her start.

"Hi" she managed to gasp before laughing "Sorry, you gave me quite a fright".

"Sorry about that" the woman stepped forward, offering a hand "Ellie Mil- well I guess it's Baker now" she smiled tightly.

"Nice to meet you Ellie Baker" Rose smiled "I'm Rose".

"Nice to meet you Rose" Ellie grinned "So what brings you here to our small town?"

Rose laughed "It seems everyone asks me the same questions. I just needed a change of scenery really. I lost someone a few months ago who was very important to me and I just needed to be away from it all. My work was no longer a distraction; it just reminded me of him all the more".

"Oh I'm so sorry" Ellie gave her a sad smile "Well if you need anything just don't hesitate to ask. I work over at the police station. I'm a DS. It might be a bit harder to get through my boss if you really are in trouble with anything, but I'll try my best".

"Thank you" Rose smiled at her "Your boss? That would be the DI wouldn't it?"

"Yes it would" Ellie smiled knowingly.

"Hmm well this is my third day here and I don't think I've met him yet. Everyone seems to either like him or hate him".

Ellie laughed "Oh yes that's him. He's a bit gruff and most people steer clear of him, but working with him isn't so bad, as long as you get everything done that he tells you to and you don't ask too many personal questions".

"I see" Rose nodded "Well I look forward to meeting him. See if I can't see past the gruffness" she laughed.

Ellie nodded as well "So are you liking it here so far?"

"Yeah" Rose shrugged "As warm of a welcome as I can expect coming to a close-knit town straight from the nosiness of London".

"Yeah well..." Ellie trailed off "You heard about the...ah murder that happened here didn't you?"

"Well yeah it seems to be pretty unavoidable when I live in the house where it happened" Rose sighed.

"It was my husband you know" Ellie continued strongly "Well ex-husband now but he was my husband at the time. People don't know how I didn't know about it. Some of them even think I was involved. Doesn't give you a good reputation around here, having a murderer for a husband".

"Oh Ellie I'm so sorry" Rose clasped her hand to her mouth "How could they blame you for something like that?"

"It's just how the human brain works" she shrugged "I was living in the same house as him after all. Alec is one of the only ones who believes that I didn't know at all. Of course my family believe me and a few of my close friends, but it's good to know that my co-workers know as well".

"Well I believe you" Rose smiled "I get an instinct about people the moment I've met them and I am rarely mistaken".

Ellie grinned "Well that's good to know. So who else have you met and formed opinions about. Don't worry about insulting anyone in front of me. Most of them don't like me anymore anyway".

"Well" Rose thought for a moment "Right after I got here my dog Mika tackled this guy on the beach" she chuckled "He was a little bit annoyed and understandably so, but when I saw his face" she shook her head "The person I lost a few months back was the man I loved, and that man on the beach was like...his twin or something" she drew in a deep breath "It was like seeing a ghost and it terrified me. He went away pretty quickly afterwards though and refused to tell me his name when I asked".

"Oh Rose" Ellie breathed "That has got to be the hardest thing. Have you seen this man since?"

"It's ok now, I'm getting used to seeing him and knowing it isn't really him. I saw him the other night at the café when I was having my dinner and again yesterday morning when I was having my breakfast at the same place".

"Did you talk to him?" Ellie asked hesitantly.

"No" Rose shook her head "I would have, but I don't think he's too impressed with me somehow".

"Ah ok" Ellie nodded. 'Stupid twat' she cursed Alec in her head.

"Anyway I better get going" Rose brushed a few stray hairs from her face "Got plans with Mika this afternoon so I better go get changed for some swimming".

"Ok, I'll let you go then. Nice to meet you Rose" Ellie waved as she walked away.

"Yeah you too, Ellie" she called back, walking back in the direction of her home. When she reached the door Mika was already scratching to come out from the inside. Rose laughed when she came rushing out and bowled her over. When she could finally get the over-excited dog off her she made her way into her bedroom and got changed into her swimmers. It didn't really worry her that the cold weather might not be the best for swimming; in fact she quite enjoyed it after traveling with the Doctor. Some of the planets they went to were almost frozen in some parts, but she still went for a swim in the warmer areas, which were still absolutely freezing.

Dressed in her pink tank top and bottoms she found herself a towel and headed down to the beach for a swim with Mika. Being a Labrador the dog went straight for the water and dove right in, splashing water all over Rose. She shrieked and dove in after her. The water wasn't too bad and it felt nice on some of her more tender areas of skin where she had sustained injuries during her work. She floated on her back and let the waves bring her closer to the shore before swimming back out again.

She was so involved in her swim that she didn't even notice the pair of somewhat disapproving eyes watching her from the beach until she came in to dry herself and lie on her towel while Mika continued her swim. "Have you got a problem with me being here or what?" she asked the same man as she had met days before.

"No" he sniffed, eyes clearly taking in the fact that she was scarcely clothed.

"This isn't your spot or something?" she continued, not wanting to cause offence "Because I don't want to lay claim to something that doesn't belong to me when I'm new here".

He smiled. He actually smiled. Mind you it was only small and barely touched his eyes, but it was a smile! "No, in fact this particular part of the beach belongs to whoever owns the cabin up on the cliff, so really it's yours. I just like to come here every once in a while, it's...quieter".

"Yeah sorry about that" she gestured to her dog "I will promise to lay low and not cause any trouble, the same cannot be said or my friend out there I'm sorry to say".

He nodded "Well I actually came to apologise for you being so rude the other day. You're new here and it was very unwelcoming of me".

"Oh" she frowned, slightly taken aback.

"I just figured that someone like you might want an apology" he continued, mentally kicking himself.

"What'd you mean someone like me?" she stood up, taking her towel with her and wrapping it around her.

"I just...I...uh I mean someone who respects themselves enough to know they deserved one" he finished. There, that was alright, surely.

Rose nodded but continued to frown "Well I guess I'll take what I can get" she shrugged "If you don't mind, I should probably go" she started to walk towards the path up to the cliffs.

"Wait" he called out after her and she stopped and turned" My name's Alec" he said firmly, looking her in the eye as he spoke so she knew he was being sincere.

"I know" she smiled "That's what Mary called you. Still, it's good to hear it from you anyway" she turned and walked up the path, Mika running to catch up with her, leaving Alec alone to his thoughts.

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**So? Good? bad? Let me know what you're thinking about it so far. Of course things are only just starting to happen so I expect you to give me a whole Essay. Thanks for all the follows and favourites guys :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry I hadn't posted this one yet, I've had it written for ages :/ I hope you like it :D Please let me know what you think! :P**

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In all his years in the world Alec Hardy had never met such a perplexing woman in his life. She was young and beautiful, yet she acted like she held the world on her shoulders. He assumed at first that it must just have been the stress of a job or a boyfriend, something along those lines, but when he looked at her he saw so much more in her eyes. She looked like she was running away from something. The haunted look in her eyes was enough to let him know that she had not been well. He remembered such a look on his own face when he looked in the mirror before his pacemaker was put in, but her look was more than that, it was a mixture between the two pains, the physical and the emotional.

He surprised himself at how much it actually bothered him that she was hurting. He had become increasingly more perceptive to people once they had started shunning him. He had come to realise that you can gain a lot more knowledge of someone's character by just observing from afar, no need to get involved in their life or even talk to them at all. This skill came in handy when virtually no one wanted to talk to you anyway. Solving the Latimer murder hadn't helped either. People still looked at him like he was filth...but not her. No, she was different. She saw him as simply a grumpy man that needed to lighten up, and he was thrilled, he thrived off that attention and refreshing attitude.

He woke up early the next morning and went for a walk along the beach. He hated himself for it, but he really wanted to see Rose again and soon, before he went back to his usual grumpy self. Her cheek brightened both his mood and his day, and he'd give anything for her to be near him.

Making his way along the sand with the cool breeze rushing through his hair was exhilarating. He paused to stand and enjoy it, closing his eyes and relaxing.

"I didn't think I'd see you here this early" came a familiar voice from behind him. Was it odd or creepy that he'd already committed her voice to memory?

"Well you obviously don't know me very well" he murmured back, listening to the sound of her footsteps getting louder.

"No I don't" she chuckled from right beside him "You can't expect me to since you wouldn't even tell me your name at first".

He glanced down at her to see her looking out at the rising sun, hair out and blowing gently in the breeze. She wore no makeup and he thought she looked utterly beautiful. "But I did tell you" he looked back to the sunrise to avoid making eye contact.

"You told me a name and names aren't everything. In fact most people can't see past a name. An old friend of mine had a name that could make men cower, but hardly anyone actually thought about the man behind the all of the impressiveness and intelligence. He's gone now" she murmured "Never coming back".

"Sounds like you lost someone important to you" he murmured.

"Yeah" she breathed "but moving on from loss is part of life. It's mainly why I came here to live. A fresh start and everything".

"Did you really not know about the murder before coming here?" he asked seriously, turning to face her while she answered.

"I didn't know anything" she looked up at him, honestly shining in her eyes "I came here when work was no longer a distraction. Before that I was always too busy to find out what was going on in the world, but now I'm not. I'm away from it all, no family worries, no responsibilities, no pushy men" 'No aliens' she added in her head.

He chuckled at that last part "I'm afraid not many in Broadchurch would approve of you using the place to escape your problems".

She frowned at him, slightly taken aback "And are you one of them?"

"Well I..."

"If you have a problem with me then you better just say so" she cut him off, barely able to keep the hostility out of her voice. In a way she still blamed this man for looking like her Doctor, because really, they couldn't be more different in character.

"I don't have any problem with you. I only want to know more about you".

She raised her eyebrows at him "Why do you want to know more about me?"

"It's what I do" he shrugged.

"Well can you not?"

"What have you got to hide?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at her.

"That's none of your business" she laughed bitterly "If you don't already know who I am then you wouldn't care if you found out".

"Then who are you?" he asked.

Her lips quirked upwards into a mischievous smile "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Yes I would, that's why I'm asking" he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Well I'm not gonna tell you" she grinned, starting to walk away "You're gonna have to figure that out for yourself".

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Later that day Alec got called out to the cabin where Rose lived. Apparently someone had broken into her place while she was gone. Nothing appeared to be taken, but he still had to go and get her statement. She still didn't know that he was the DI so he smiled at the thought of her face when she found out.

When he got out of the car he was greeted by, Mika was it? She leapt up and tried to lick his face again, leaving dirty paw prints on his suit jacket. "Mika!" Rose yelled from the doorway "Get off him!"

The dog retreated back inside and Alec finally could take in her appearance. She was wearing a cute little denim pinny with a bright coloured t-shirt underneath and tights covering her long legs. After finishing his inspection of her he realise just how much of a creepy old man he must seem to her. He was thirty five and she couldn't be over twenty three.

He had to blink for a few moments to clear his head of those types of thoughts "Right" he swallowed "Um I believe you reported a break-in here?"

Rose grinned widely at him "You're a cop".

"Detective inspector Alec Hardy" he pulled out his badge and showed it to her.

This only made her grin grow wider "Oh but that's brilliant" she laughed "I should have known it would be you. Everyone said the DI around here was a right old grump. They were wrong about the old part, but still" she chortled.

His heart leapt at the fact that she didn't consider him as old "Yes well" she shrugged "I'm not big with the locals I'll grant you that".

"I can't imagine why" she said in mock shock, laughing at her own sarcasm "Come on then, they came in through the back, though I don't know what they were doing because everything is still here".

He followed her through the cabin to the back door and out onto a small deck that he didn't remember being there before "Renovations already?" he questioned.

"Yeah d'you like it? Every coastal house needs a deck" she smiled, patting the wood fondly.

"Well..." he made a noise that she couldn't tell was approval or disapproval.

"You're a bit rude aren't you?" she quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Rude? Aye I guess I am a bit rude" he nodded in agreement.

"And not ginger" she added as an afterthought and he raised an eyebrow at her, pulling a few strands of his hair down to his eyes to inspect them.

"No, sorry Miss I'm not ginger" he managed a small smile, making her laugh, Oh how he enjoyed that sound, coming from such a young and beautiful creature. He wanted her to be his; he wanted to claim her so that no other man could have her, but above all, he wanted to know where all of these insane thoughts were coming from.

"Anyway they got in here" she motioned to the window above the deck, drawing his attention back to the task at hand.

The rest of the time he spent at her cabin was very...distracting. His work took him much longer to do then it normally would and her statement took even longer. Rose just seemed to radiate goodness and happiness. When they finally were back outside again he felt so much lighter and happier than he had the whole time he'd spent in Broadchurch, even though he was just doing his job.

"Well I guess I'll see you later then" she smiled politely at him as she stood outside his car.

"I suppose you will" he nodded, still trying to fight the urge to kiss her on the cheek. What was happening to him?

"Good" she nodded as well "Thank you for your services Detective Inspector".

He almost thanked her too before he realised just how weird that would sound. "Just doing my job".

"Bye" she turned and walked back toward her cabin. He watched her go and immediately regretted not asking her out, but what would that have looked like to her? Yes she seemed to flirt with him, but maybe she was just a naturally flirty person. How was he to know what kind of a woman he was dealing with? Well aside from the fact that she was absolutely amazing, he had no idea.

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**I hope you liked it :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys. Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've been on holidays in New Zealand so I had little to no Wifi since they don't have optus over there. Anyway, I hope you like it :D I'll try to keep the updates more regular :)**

**Also: Thanks for the follows, favourites and comments, they mean the world to me :)**

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It wasn't until the next night that Rose saw Alec again. She had decided to do her own little investigation into the man who looked like her Doctor. Involving Torchwood would just make things less enjoyable and would cause fuss. Pete would find out about Alec and everyone would go crazy, especially her mother. No, she wanted to do this one on her own just like the Doctor would. She humoured herself with the thought that he would be proud of her just like he had been with Sarah-Jane when he had met her again after all those years.

She attempted to think about things from his perspective. To dive right into the new world she found herself in, to do what the locals do, eat at the local places, buy a boat, go fishing, go on dates, be NORMAL. She chuckled a little at that. Her world had become so distorted that she didn't even know what normal was anymore.

Still, she didn't want to let her past stop her from trying to move on with her life. She'd start small if she had to. Getting a job seemed a good idea, but all she was qualified in were skills needed for Torchwood. Field training, computer hacking, alien communication and relations. Of course most of those things weren't listed on her public qualifications as it would look a bit odd for the Vitex heiress to be an expert on aliens.

Deciding finally that she would start her new life with getting to know both Ellie and Alec, she headed for her usual dinner destination. As she walked through the doors the same people gave her odd looks as she passed. She spotted Alec in the back sitting at a booth on his own and she approached carefully.

He looked up from his book and raised a quizzical eyebrow "What can I do for you, Miss?"

She raised an eyebrow to match his, observing that he wore the same glasses that the Doctor used to wear, though he looked a little less...Doctorish. "I dunno" she shrugged "I was bored, needed a place to go for some dinner, thought I'd come be social this evening".

His eyebrow shot, if possible, even higher "And you picked to come and socialise with me? I must say I'm surprised".

She took the opportunity to sit down opposite him. "Why should that surprise you?"

"Well" he shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips "You're a young person aren't you? You should be out partying and socialising with people your own age".

"Was that a request for me to go?" she asked suspiciously.

"Of course not" he chuckled.

"Good, because I'm not going anywhere" she picked up the menu in front of her and observed it "Besides, I already told you that you're not old".

"How old do you think I am?" he asked with a curious frown, taking off his glasses and holding them while he crossed him arms over his chest.

Her original thought was to say nine hundred and three, but that would have just been downright rude. "Hmm" she pretended to really look at him "About...thirty four?"

"Thirty five" he nodded.

"What about me? Can you guess how old I am?" she asked cheekily.

He frowned thoughtfully "I'd say you couldn't be older than twenty three".

"Spot on" she grinned.

"Quite an age gap then" he nodded; face holding some emotion she couldn't quite figure out. It was strange actually. The Doctor had always been so cheerful that she had never really had the opportunity to get used to his darker expressions.

"Oh you have no idea" she laughed for moment before replying seriously "It's not that many years" she shrugged "What does it matter anyway?"

He stared at her for a moment. This girl was just impossible. It really did seem like fate had brought her to Broadchurch to torture him slowly. She was in a word, perfect. She was beautiful, obviously intelligent, funny, and she didn't care about the age difference between them. On top of that, she actually liked him! Well she seemed to anyway "It doesn't" he smiled "but" he sighed "It will ruin your reputation here if you are seen too often with me".

Rose scoffed "Do you think I care about what all of these people think? I came here to get away from who I used to be, a new reputation would be nice. Besides, I can be friends with whoever I want".

He chuckled "I don't have many friends".

Rose smiled softly "What does it matter how many you have? As long as they're good ones then why worry about it?"

"You are so..." he trailed off, a thoughtful frown on his face.

"So what?" she asked.

"So...different" he finished anticlimactically "Seriously though, I mean it. You come here alone with your dog and buy a modestly priced home. You still haven't decided on whether or not you should get a job so obviously money isn't an issue with you. You had a job that meant that you never even knew what was going on in the world and you decide to befriend possibly the most hated man in town".

"Oh you're not the most hated man in town" Rose waved a hand at him "People like you, they're just afraid to admit it. Besides, if you don't like it then why don't you move on?"

"You think?" he laughed "Oh and where would I go? London?"

Rose shrugged "You could go there if you wanted to. It's a bit noisy and busy if you like the quiet, and yes I do think".

"Well you've lived there all your life haven't you? It can't really be all that bad, right?"

"Well...it's a whole other board game to places like here, but I haven't always lived in London. For nearly two years I was traveling with a friend" she tried to avoid looking at him as she spoke "We had the best of times him and me".

"So why aren't you back out there traveling the stars?" he laughed, clearly joking.

Rose's jaw dropped for a moment. Quickly gathering herself together she stammered "Uh he...he's gone now. He died a few months ago".

"Oh I'm sorry" Alec hung his head a little "But now I have something else to add to the profile I'm creating on you".

She looked him in the eye "You really don't have a clue who I am?"

"As I've said, I don't have a clue".

"Wow" she grinned "You really don't keep up with the news do you? My job pretty much prevented me from keeping up with the world, but you have every opportunity to read the news, or even listen to it in the car".

"I don't like to pry into other people's business" he replied flatly.

"That's very honourable, but the news is hardly other people's business unless it is written about specific people and or cultures".

Alec shook his head "You sound like a dictionary sometimes".

"Sorry" she ducked her head and chuckled "I guess if you live with someone for a while they tend to rub off on you".

"Aye well, I haven't lived with another living creature in years now" he sighed "But back to the other subject. How do I know you're not just trying to distract me? How do I know that you're really a well-known person?"

"You don't" she laughed "You'll just have to trust me, and by the end of this I can tell you you're gonna be kicking yourself for not realising who I am".

"Well you aren't exactly giving me many clues".

"What do you want to know?" she asked, sitting back in her seat and fidgeting a little when he leaned forward to speak.

"Where were you born?"

"London. Is this going to be like playing twenty questions?"

He made a sort of shrugging motion with his head "What are your parent's names?"

"Good one" she grinned "Jackie and Pete".

"Oh" he smacked a hand to his head, running it through his hair and messing it up just like the Doctor used to "That really does sound familiar now".

"See, I knew it would".

"What was your occupation before moving here?"

Rose drew in a deep breath. She really wanted to tell him but she couldn't or he'd have to be ret-conned. "I worked and still technically do work for an organisation, but everything other than that is classified. You're actually the first person outside that I've told about it at all, because as far as the public knows I'm just a little rich girl who tries to do good for others" she fluttered her eyelids innocently before shaking her head "That's never been who I am".

"Wow" he nodded, his bottom lip sticking out adorably "Alright then".

"Yeah" Rose blew out a breath of air "Anyway my dinner was takeaway so I'm gonna have to go when it gets here".

"I thought you came here to socialise?" he frowned.

"Yes but..." she replied sheepishly "I needed an excuse to leave in case things didn't go well".

She looked so guilty that he couldn't stop himself from laughing "Oh so you suspected we would argue?" he asked.

"Well I wasn't sure" she shrugged "After all I don't know you that well yet".

"True" he nodded.

Rose's name was called and she stood up quickly "Sorry I better go" she apologized "Mika will be getting impatient with me. I'll see you around" she patted his shoulder and turned, leaving him to just stare at the place where she'd touched.

* * *

**Ok... :D Let me know what you think. If you do think that this is a bit rushed just please go with it, there's a reason for everything ;)**


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